1
: a frozen waterfall
2
: the mass of usually jagged blocks into which a glacier may break when it moves down a steep declivity
Examples of icefall in a Sentence
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In 2014, an avalanche on Everest killed 16 people, all Nepali workers who were fixing ropes in the icefall, which led to a strike and the closure of the rest of the season.
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Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Furthermore, the rapidly warming Himalayan climate is making the carapace of snow and ice that covers much of the Everest massif more unstable, which makes the icefall more likely to be the site of another mass-casualty event like the avalanche that killed 16 Nepali workers on April 14, 2014.
—Jon Krakauer, The Atlantic, 4 May 2026
Because the only way to get back to base camp was via that icefall, Whittaker chose to stay above it on the mountain for five steady weeks as more camps were established up Everest.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The park’s waterfalls flow strongest from March through June and transform into dramatic icefalls in winter.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
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Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Furthermore, the rapidly warming Himalayan climate is making the carapace of snow and ice that covers much of the Everest massif more unstable, which makes the icefall more likely to be the site of another mass-casualty event like the avalanche that killed 16 Nepali workers on April 14, 2014.
—Jon Krakauer, The Atlantic, 4 May 2026
Because the only way to get back to base camp was via that icefall, Whittaker chose to stay above it on the mountain for five steady weeks as more camps were established up Everest.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The park’s waterfalls flow strongest from March through June and transform into dramatic icefalls in winter.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for icefall
Cite this Entry
“Icefall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icefall. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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